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Cretan gamopilafo is a wedding rice dish from Crete, made by cooking short-grain rice in a meat broth until it turns soft and a little creamy. The name means wedding pilaf, and it’s served at weddings and big gatherings on the island. This is a simplified home version with lamb shoulder that serves 6.
The rice tastes mild and meaty, and the lemon keeps it from feeling heavy. It’s looser than a regular pilaf, closer to a thick, spoonable risotto.
You simmer bone-in lamb for 90 minutes to make the broth. The rice then cooks in that broth for about 20 minutes. Most of the time is hands-off, and you don’t need anything special besides a wide pot.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rice soaks up real lamb broth, so every spoonful tastes meaty
- Most of the cooking time is simple simmering
- Lemon and butter keep the rice creamy and fresh
- One batch feeds six and works for a gathering
Ingredient Notes
- bone-in lamb shoulder: The bones and fat give the broth its flavor. Ask the butcher to cut it into 6 to 8 pieces. Goat or lamb neck works the same way.
- short-grain rice: Carolina or arborio rice turns soft and creamy. Long-grain rice stays separate and won’t give you the same texture.
- lemon juice: Use a fresh lemon. Add 2 tablespoons first, taste, then add the third if the rice needs more brightness.
- mizithra or graviera: Both are Greek cheeses that grate well. If you can’t find them, use Parmesan or pecorino, but go lighter on salt.
- unsalted butter: It melts into the rice at the end and makes it silky. Unsalted lets you control the seasoning, since the broth and cheese already add salt.
Gamopilafo: Cretan Wedding Rice with Simmered Lamb
Ingredients
Method
- Put the lamb, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a 6-quart / 5.7 L pot, about 24 cm / 9.5 inch wide. Pour in the 2 L water and bring to a boil over high heat, about 10 minutes. Skim off the gray foam with a spoon for the first 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low so the water barely bubbles, then partly cover the pot. Simmer for 90 minutes, until the lamb pulls away from the bone easily when you press it with a fork.
- Lift the lamb out onto a plate. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or jug and discard the vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns. Measure the broth, you need 1.4 L, so top up with hot water if you're short. Pull the meat off the bones in large chunks, discard the bones and any big pieces of fat, and cover the lamb with foil. This takes about 10 minutes.
- Pour the 1.4 L broth into a 4-quart / 3.8 L wide pot, about 26 cm / 10 inch, and bring it to a gentle boil. Add the rice and stir well. Cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the rice is soft and the mixture looks like a thick, loose risotto. Start tasting at 16 minutes, because the rice goes from creamy to gluey fast.
- Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the butter, 2 tbsp lemon juice and the pepper. Taste, then add the third tablespoon of lemon juice or more salt if it needs it. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes. If it looks too thick, stir in a splash of hot water.
- Spoon the rice into warm bowls and top each with pieces of lamb. Sprinkle with the grated mizithra or graviera and serve with a lemon wedge.
Notes
- Rest the rice for 5 minutes off the heat so it thickens to a creamy texture.
- Measure the strained broth, you need 1.4 L for 400 g of rice.
- Skim the surface foam early for a clear, clean-tasting broth.
- Add salt at the end, after tasting, since the cheese is salty.
Tips for Success
- Skim the foam during the first 5 minutes of boiling so the broth stays clear and tastes clean.
- Taste the broth before adding the rice, because the lamb and the cheese on top both add salt.
- Stir the rice often but gently, so the grains stay whole while the liquid turns creamy.
- Keep a cup of hot water or broth nearby and loosen the rice with a splash if it tightens.
- Use a wide pot for the rice so it cooks evenly and the liquid reduces at a steady pace.
Variations
- Swap the lamb for 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs and simmer them for 45 minutes. The broth will be lighter.
- Make it dairy free by finishing with 3 tablespoons olive oil instead of butter and skipping the cheese.
- Brown the butter in a small pan until it smells nutty, then pour it over each bowl before serving.
Storage and Reheating
Cool leftover gamopilafo within 2 hours, then store it in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The rice keeps soaking up liquid as it sits, so it will be thick and firm when cold.
To reheat, put the rice in a pot with a splash of water or broth, about 60 ml per two servings. Warm it over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until it loosens and is hot all the way through.
You can freeze the lamb and extra broth for up to 3 months. I don’t freeze the finished rice, since it turns mushy once thawed.
Serving Suggestions
Serve gamopilafo right after the 5 minute rest, in warm shallow bowls, with pieces of lamb on top. Add a spoonful of grated cheese and a lemon wedge on the side.
A tomato and cucumber salad with olive oil goes well, because the fresh crunch balances the rich rice. Boiled greens with lemon and a basket of crusty bread also work.
For a gathering, bring the pot to the table and let people help themselves. A dry white wine or a light red goes nicely with it.
FAQ
Why is my gamopilafo gluey instead of creamy?
Gluey rice usually means it cooked a few minutes too long or boiled too hard. Gamopilafo should look like a loose, spoonable risotto, not a solid block. Start tasting at 16 minutes, keep the heat at medium-low, and loosen it with a splash of hot broth or water after the 5 minute rest.
Can I use chicken instead of lamb in gamopilafo?
Yes, use 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs and simmer them for 45 minutes instead of 90. The broth will taste milder and lighter than lamb broth, so add the lemon a little at a time. Everything else stays the same, including 1.4 L of broth for 400 g of rice.
Can I make the lamb broth for gamopilafo ahead of time?
Yes, make the broth and pull the lamb up to 2 days ahead and keep both in the fridge. Cook the rice fresh in reheated broth so it stays creamy. You can freeze the broth and lamb for up to 3 months, but don’t freeze the finished rice because it turns mushy.
What goes well with Cretan gamopilafo?
A tomato and cucumber salad with olive oil and a plate of boiled greens go well, since they cut through the rich rice. Crusty bread and lemon wedges on the side are also good. I like a dry white or a light red wine with it.
Is gamopilafo gluten free, and how do I make it dairy free?
Gamopilafo is gluten free as written, since it uses only rice, lamb, vegetables and homemade broth. It does contain dairy from the butter and the cheese. For a dairy-free version, swap the butter for 3 tablespoons olive oil and skip the cheese.
What is the difference between gamopilafo and risotto?
Gamopilafo cooks rice in a meat broth with no wine and no onion sauté, with only occasional stirring, then gets butter and lemon at the end. Risotto starts with sautéed onion and wine, and the broth goes in a ladle at a time with constant stirring. Gamopilafo ends up looser, almost like a thick soup.